Sunday, September 28, 2014

The Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara is the first monument
built in stone in the history of humanity and the one that determined the development of future Egyptian pyramids throughout different
dynasties.
Envisioned and carried out by the great architect, philosopher and physician Imhotep, the
complex at Saqqara not only took a giant leap in the development of
Egyptian funerary architecture but also (a fact less known) he experimented
with an item that would have a huge impact on Egyptian as well as Greco-Roman architecture : the bearing column.

LOCATION

One of the most significant aspects of the Saqqara complex is its
location, West of Memphis, the Pharaonic capital and about 7 kms from
the Nile River. It is important to stress that Saqqara, like Giza, were not inhabited
settlements: they were cities for the dead . The location on the West is related to the direction of the sunset, a representation of death and the point where the sun touches the earth. The Saqqara plateau was ideal for this purpose, its height protected it from the floods of
the Nile, as well as due to the desert character of the landscape, in contrast to the lively one in the capital Memphis. Even today it is clear that abrupt separation between the crops and arid surroundings of the funerary complex.
Both the overall layout of the complex as well as the details of many of
its individual buildings can be explained as the secular translation of
residential architecture in Memphis to stone funerary architecture in
Saqqara.

THE MASTABAS

Prior to Djoser, the tombs of the nobles and dignitaries were mastabas
(Arabic word that means "benches" given their trapezoidal shape), which were stone equivalents to the adobe houses of the cities. Structures were rectangular and of slightly sloping walls, flat ceiling and with a single entry.
Once the sarcophagus and the treasures of the deceased were placed in an
inner room called serdab the door was sealed and covered with rocks and
sand.

THE STEP PYRAMID

The pyramid shape was not planned from the beginning. Initially just a mastaba was developed, as it was the tradition. It is said that Djoser was very disappointed to see the stature of his grave and demanded to be built higher.
Thus, the great architect Imhotep came with the solution of to creating a platform above the
first mastaba, then another, and another, until a total of 6. Prior to increase the height he was also expanding the mastabas at the bottom, until covering an area of 125x109meters a base. These additionsbecame evident after the collapse ofpart of the southern wallthus revealingits internal structure.

Of course, neither Djoser nor anyone would have noticed this puzzle-like solution, as
the limestone blocks that made up the platforms of the pyramid were covered with
granite, giving stylistic unity and homogeneity to the monument.

I can imagine the joy of Djoser when he saw his tomb completed around 2650 BC. With its 62 meters it was not only much higher than any previous tomb, but
its step form stimulated the idea of ​​ascension into heaven and the
connection with the afterlife.
Moreover, the pyramid meant the realization of two paradigmatic Ancient Kingdom funerary styles: the house type and the type burial mound, which
were typical of the settlements of Upper and Lower Egypt respectively. When combined in the pyramid, the architecture of the royal tomb became a symbol of the two components of the Egyptian state.
In addition to its impressive size, the pyramid contained a maze of
passages and an innovative system for the grave could support the weight of
such a huge structure.

THE COMPLEX OF DJOSER

The royal funerary complex is surrounded by a niched wall, enclosing a huge compound of 277 x 544 meters, which is an imitation of the mud-brick wall that surrounded the residence of Pharaoh in Memphis, the aim being
to provide the king with a continued use of his palace in the afterlife.
For this reason many of the buildings are solid, massive structures,
without any space or room inside and lacking any particular function.

The large square in front of the pyramid is a spatial typology that
seeks to highlight the scale and monumentality of the structure. It is a resource used in other cultures' pyramis, distant in time and space from Egypt, such asTeotihuacan, the Maya and the Moche.

Entrance the complex

Only one of the 13 false doors of this wall leads into the square,
through a passage, whose roof was supported by beams which in turn were supported by a colonnade.
These were the first bearing columns in history, and apparently
Imhotep was not sure that they would work, as he joined them in pairs and filled the
space between them. This experience would be the basis for future free-standing columns in Luxor, Karnak, etc. In Saqqara columns were rounded to have the appearance of palm trees.

They were built by superimposing individual blocks and they have a wider base to better distribute the loads from the roof.

After touring this passage in the semidarkness, the visitor dazzled by
accessing a large square where the Heb Sed took place, a ceremony in the
twentieth or thirtieth year of the reign of the pharaoh, a sort of
royal jubilee in which the monarch was "blessed" by the gods after
participating in religious ceremonies and a series of physical
demonstrations.
To do this, a shrine (whose shape resembled the desert tents), welcomed
a procession and a series of ceremonies officiated by the High Priest. After the ceremony the Pharaoh was crowned again carrying the symbols of Upper and Lower Egypt.

Side chapels.

THE RECOVERY PROCESS

Currently a combined team of Egyptian and British experts is
undertaking a process of restoration and structural reinforcement of the
pyramid, especially at the burial chamber which is in danger of collapse.
The project aims to introduce a set of steel bars which would increase the
stability of the rocks that make up the camera coverage of the
gravestone.
However, since the drilling itself could cause the collapse, it was
necessary to first clean the inside of the camera and then install a
scaffold containing a sort of air mattresses, which may support the rocks in case they collapse. The project has been carried out despite very difficult logistical and political conditions, due to the recent outbreak of a revolution.

Friday, September 26, 2014

ESPAÑOLThe Konstantin Melnikov's house-studio, the most renowned example of Russian Constructivism, is located in the peaceful Krivoarbatsky street (parallel to the bustling pedestrian Arbat street in Moscow), hidden behind the foliage of the only tree on the block.

At first glance, it is remarkable that this is the only building with a setback in the whole block.A front garden makes evident the curved geometry of the building and its unique composition.
These characteristics, dissimilar to those of the typical Stalinist architecture of the
time, were permitted only due to the popularity of Konstantin Melnikov,
who won the gold medal at the Paris Exposition in 1930. However, in
later decades he was isolated and ridiculed by his colleagues and the house
was repeatedly threatened with demolition.

Furthermore, it is curious that this was one of the few residences that
were allowed to shelter a single family in a time between 3-4 families
were living communally in the same house. The reason is probably that the Soviet authorities wanted to take this case as an experiment to study new housing typologies.

Indeed, in 1927 Melnikov received a small plot to build his private home - painting and architectural workshop. Once the project was approved, the architect himself began its construction, which culminated in 1929.

Sketch of the plant

The building consists of two interlinked cylinders of three levels each. They have the same diameter but with different heights, with the shorter south
cylinder containing the entrance. This difference in height allows the light to enter generously through a window located on the last floor.

In the southern side to the street, the cylinder is cut by a glass screen that occupies the entire facade.

In contrast, the rest of the volume is more massive, pierced by a series of hexagonal windows.

The geometry of the windows allowed saving material as bricks were scarce at the time of construction.

The structure works like a honeycomb and some of the hexagons were covered
with clay and rubble (which also helps to keep a warmer temperature in winter).

Others were converted into frames that housed about 60 windows of
different sizes, whose role is to provide controlled illumination to the
interior spaces.

Outline and arrangement of the windows in the house

Indoors when the architect was alive

Architect Workshop.

Interior of the house during a recent art exhibition

The entire structural load is absorbed into these cylindrical walls in order to
free the internal space from walls, which allows higher flexibility.

The first of the three levels includes the entrance, hallway, kitchen,
dining and working rooms for the architect's wife and children. The second level in one of the cylinders contains a living room and the other one a bedroom. The third level houses of the painting and architectural workshop and a terrace overlooking the double height of the entrance

The architect also designed the furniture which has been kept by his descendants.

I must confess that I was impressed to see the situation of this
iconic piece of modern architecture of the twentieth century.
As you can see in the pictures it is unfortunate that the
building is in such state of decay, despite the efforts of the family and the ministry of culture to convert the
house into a museum.
Structural cracks are evidence that this structure is threatened to collapse, and although
emergency has been declared already a couple of years ago, it seems there are still no concrete possibilities for its short-term restoration.

MY ARCHITECTURAL MOLESKINE

MY ARCHITECTURAL MOLESKINE

Notes on the fly throughout an exciting journey, a logboof of emotions and senses while walking between architectural spaces bathed in light, surrounded by landscape, or being part of it.

Just like in a moleskine - that notebook where travelers compiled writings and drawings of their visits- this blog offers you, dear reader, my own collection based on my personal experience about interesting sites visited in recent years.

Welcome to My Architectural Moleskine

"What I hear, I forget; what I read, I remember; what I do, I learn; what I teach, I know."

Old Chinese proverb.

About me

Architect and urban designer, professor in universities in Peru and Russia. Post PhD. researcher on urban design and landscape in Japan. Earned his PhD in Urban Environmental Planning at Kyoto University, Japan and Master degrees in Sustainability in Argentina and Environmental Management in Peru.

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